The ISHR Academy website has been designed to provide human rights defenders with an accessible go-to resource to develop and strengthen their advocacy skills with the UN human rights mechanisms, so that they can use them to push for change at home.

Although no organisation or website is immune from malicious intent by other actors, the ISHR Academy has been developed to lower the risk profile for the human rights community using the Academy and its resources. It aims to place as much control as possible in your own hands concerning your digital security. If you are in doubt about your security online, consult a digital security expert for advice (some general resources are provided below).

User data

We do not ask for users to enter any personal information or passwords to access the Academy.

We use analytics to help us monitor how users are consuming the content and resources available on the ISHR Academy. These analytic insights allow ISHR to improve the service by spotting trends and patterns across the content. To do this the Academy uses the analytics service Matomo installed as a dedicated ISHR service on an isolated server instance which only works through an https connection. This data is linked to the IP address you use when accessing the website, and is only used internally at ISHR.

Please be aware the ISHR Academy uses embedded media content from the ISHR YouTube channel and the ISHR TypeForm account to enrich the learning experience.

YouTube is owned by Google and is subject to its user data policies.

Information on TypeForm’s user data policy is available here.

Server security

The ISHR Academy is hosted by Greenhost, a dedicated cloud hosting company based in Holland. The Firewall is configured on Greenhost VPS. We filter traffic and block unwanted traffic and unnecessary ports on the server using the TLS protocol.

Software updates and patches are often distributed to fix security vulnerabilities as they’re discovered. We update service packs and security patches on a regular basis.

Increasing your security

Digital security is an essential element of every human rights defender’s security plan. You can find detailed information and tips on how to increase your digital security here:

• Step-by-step advice on the steps you can take to improve your digital security:

  • Tactical Technology Collective and Front Line Defenders - Security-in-a-Box
  • Me and My Shadow - Training videos
  • Tactical Technology Collective - Training videos
  • Association for Progressive Communications (APC) - Digital Security First Aid Kit for Human Rights Defenders

• General resources on digital security and strategies specific to a certain types of online violence: https://www.takebackthetech.net/be-safe - Take Back the Tech

• Security guide for human rights defenders in Africa: Stand Up! - DefendDefenders and Human Rights House